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Hi community - Leaving my job as prison officer in sep' advice needed

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Hi, I am leaving the prison service in September this year as I have had enough after 11 years,I am now 38 and I have always loved all things I.T and want to use the opportunity to get in the industry. I am under no illusions of jumping into a well paid job to start with. I just need to know where to start, I am looking into doing the comptia A+ as a foundation then maybe database admin or network engineering. I have a couple of months free time in October to study full time and get the comptia done but so confused in the hundreds of providers offering jobs and promising the world. Whats the best training company to go with who are respected in the industry? Many thanks guys

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The A+ can definitely be done via self-study, grab a book (the Mike Meyers one is good), ram your head with it's goodness, and save yourself a tonne of money.

as you mention networks, the N+ is a good second cert to get. Databases - I would definitely think about grabbing SQL Server Express and Visual Studio to see if that's really for you.

Like ade mentioned, certifications wise, you'd want to start with something like A+, Network+, etc... The general advice on here is to start looking for entry level jobs that will give you exposure and let your IT career grow. Don't rely on certifications to get you the job, use certifications as a way to help you expand on your existing knowledge so that you can pass technical interviews but also help you with your first IT job.

Never give up! It's hard to get into IT, but with the right mindset, you can achieve it. Good luck!

One more thing to consider is you could start your own company and "hire" yourself. It's not essential that your company makes it big, it's a way for you to get working sooner, if hiring is slow, and to gain experience both for your professional knowledge and for your resume.

I think it depends on whether you have any pre-existing experience already in the IT industry. In your case, I would highly recommend doing entry level certs such as the A+ to give you some good grounding. Don't bother going for higher level certs until you actually attain relevant experience.

Personally, I did 3 MTAs and managed to get my first job in IT. I've learnt so much in my new job and I have only been there for one month. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming, but I thoroughly enjoy it and thrive on learning new things. I have just started studying my A+ this week and hope to do my Network+ after.

From an overall perspective, aside from certs, I think you need to be enthusiastic, dedicated and have a good attitude. The IT industry changes so quickly and you need to be able to adapt.

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